Most innovative research and best presentation skills awarded at 9th SEEM

08 November 2013

An important aspect of the regional meetings is identifying the most talented young urologists and residents in the region. At the 9th SEEM in Thessaloniki these young urologists had the chance to present themselves during the Best Poster Session and the Country Competition.

The Country Competition, introduced by the chairman of the EAU Regional Office, Prof. Bob Djavan, at this edition of SEEM, provides a platform for talented young urologists to represent their country and present their work while being judged by a critical panel of expert urologists.

Ten presenters took the stage and answered the critical questions from the judges to their best ability. Although the questions could sometimes be tough, the general setting of the question-and-answer sessions were informal and occasionally even caused a laugh. With the help of a score sheet, the judges selected the three best speakers who were announced during the gala dinner.

Third prize went to Dr. Abdullah Erdem Canda from Ankara, Turkey, for this presentation on robotic radical cystectomy. He discussed the three step process: robotic cystectomy, lymph node dissection, and pouch reconstruction, as well as the latest data on the procedure. Canda concluded that the results from the studies on robotic cystectomy look promising but there are no conclusive outcomes.

Second prize went to Serbia for Dr. Bogomir Milojevic’ talk on the prognostic significance of non-muscle-invasive bladder tumour history in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Greece won first prize with Dr. Stavros Tyritzis’ passionate presentation on the facts and fiction of robotic surgery.

Tyritzis declared: “I want to believe in robotic surgery but it has to be based on facts, not fiction.” He pointed out that marketing is still a very important factor in determining whether someone is in favour or against robotic surgery, and this will remain so until the monopoly on robotic equipment ends. Moreover, there is a great need for more comparable studies and long-term follow-up data for functional outcomes after robotic surgery.

Best Poster Awards

Over 200 abstracts were submitted and presented in several poster sessions. On the last day of the meeting, the best posters were honoured with the Best Poster Award and several winners presented their posters a second time.

Prof. Kamyar Tavakkoli Tabassi (IR) won second prize for best clinical study. He presented surgical techniques for male to female gender reassignment surgery: the fold back perineo-scrotal flap plus penile inversion vaginoplasty. “His work is especially noteworthy because this is such a sensitive subject given the cultural and religious circumstances in Iran,” said Prof. Djavan.

All award winners at SEEM are viewed as being among the most talented young urologists and residents of the region. These awards are important stepping stones for further involvement and participation in EAU activities.